Several seasonal heat records were recorded this week in Canada and the United States, where the thermometer was measured sometimes reached “summer” temperatures In the middle of February.
Across the central United States, unusually high temperatures early in the week are likely to precede a sharp drop in the thermometer before returning to above normal, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), which described the swings as a “roller coaster.”
He was expected to score this Tuesday in Chicago “the hottest day ever recorded in February or meteorological winter”with maximum temperatures of 20°C, local weather services said.
But from Wednesday morning temperatures are expected to return to negative territory, a change that promises to be “absolutely brutal”, they added.
“We’re in for an absolutely wild weather ride, with summer weather (record heat), spring weather (violent storms?), and winter weather (snow/cold), all in the next 24 hours!” Chicago NWS.
The evening, Several heat records were recorded, for example in Saint-Louis in the state of Missouri or in the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint-Paul in Minnesota further north. The temperature in the latter was just over 18°C on Monday, a high for February.
Unusual temperatures also prevailed in the state of Texas. It was around 33°C in Dallas on Monday, a record for February 26th. The local weather service warned of a fire risk.
Also in eastern Canada, in Quebec and Ontario Several temperature records were broken on Tuesday.
On February 27, Montreal was never this hot (15°C) on record, Environment Canada reported.
“It is unusual for the end of February,” admitted Michèle Fleury, meteorologist at this state agency, who recalled that the previous maximum was 11 ° C in 2000.
According to leading US agencies NOAA and Europe’s Copernicus, last month was the hottest January ever recorded in the world.
And I could keep going the record for a month of Februaryaccording to experts.
Analysis of February average temperatures recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be available on March 8 for the United States and March 14 for the entire world.
The current climate phenomenon El Niño, which tends to happen Warming global temperaturesAccording to the US authorities, it will gradually disappear in the spring.
Global warming is attributed by scientists to climate change caused by massive emissions of greenhouse gases.
With information from AFP.
ORP
